Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: StrongMan and Allis, two of the unaffiliated students, have forged ties with the Good Duelists and built something of a friendship. Allis and Ikke have also begun to see each other. A longtime friendship between Void and McMike was damaged when they each chose different sides in the coming conflict. CyberV recently revealed that over the holidays, he began dating a fellow student named Ami, much to Jay's surprise. Having lost four of his lieutenants to the Good Duelists, Ramesus has now decided to pursue a new plan of action, one centering around Allis.


"So, who's side are you on?" StrongMan sighed as Tapkar asked him the question he'd been asked a hundred times in the last week again.

"I don't take sides," said StrongMan. "It's not my nature."

"But you HAVE to," urged Tapkar. "Almost everyone in the school is by now, and the ones that haven't are all waiting on you to decide."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow at that. "Why is that?"

"Because you're one of the strongest duelists in the school. Face it, people look up to you."

"I'm very tall. Almost EVERYONE has to look up to me."

Tapkar sweatdropped. "SO not what I meant."

Sitting at a table in the cafeteria, StrongMan was no less intimidating physically than he was when standing. Not just tall, but wide as well, he seemed to some of the smaller duelists to be a mountain of a man. He inwardly sighed. He didn't want to lead, especially not through intimidation, albeit unintentional.

As he sipped his drink, he thought about what Tapkar was saying. "You need to tell them to just follow their instincts."

"They want to follow YOUR instincts."

"Any particular reason?"

"Think about who the Good Duelists are resting their hopes on..."

StrongMan looked to his left, where CyberV was lining up a bowling ball. Without hesitation, he let it fly down the cafeteria where, at the other end, it smacked into 10 megaphones with a resounding crash.

"STEEEEEERIKE!"

StrongMan blinked. "I see what you mean." It still boggled his mind that the goofy rookie duelist who reportedly had never won a duel before coming to the Academy was somehow destined to save the world from darkness. True, he'd shown remarkable improvement, and had even supposedly dealt with several shadow games... But it was still hard to swallow.

"Well?"

StrongMan considered for a moment. "I guess I stay true to myself. I won't join Evil, that's for certain. But I can't really say I'd join Good, either. All I can really do is follow my instincts and my heart when the time comes... Assuming it ever does."

"What do you mean?"

"It means..." he said, taking another sip. "That I pray every day I never have to take a hand in this fiasco."


Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger

Episode 28: StrongMan's Choice! Take a Stand!

Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall and Ramesus


Ami closed one eye as she sized up the right angle to launch the ball at the megaphones.

"Okay... GO!" She let the bowling ball loose with all her strength... and watched in dismay as she barely nicked the one on the back right. Instead, she winced comically as the ball kept going, right out the door and into the hallway. Out of sight in seconds, they heard a loud crash.

"So... run?" she asked.

"Run." said CV.

They ran.


After about five minutes and two floors, they stopped running and started laughing.

"We'll probably have to replace that, you know..."

"Maybe..." He chuckled. "But it's not the last time that door got a makeover. I think we'll survive."

"So why did we run?"

"Because you suggested it and it sounded like fun." He grinned. It had been three months since they'd met on New Year's.


The past...

He'd been sitting on the roof of the school, watching the fireworks display from a distance. She'd had the same idea, having come back to the Academy early to catch up on assignments.

It didn't take long to get talking to pass the time. And in this blue-haired beauty he'd found something of a kindred spirit, someone who usually just enjoyed life and lived for the moment, something he'd done frequently since his arrival here. He'd learned a lot about her quickly. She was a duelist specializing in water monsters, half of a tag team with Rex, a childhood friend who worked with warriors. They'd dueled together for years and most of the time were practically joined at the hip. But Rex didn't have any assignments to finish up and she did, so she'd come back solo.

Still, even being basically alone to start the new year didn't seem to dampen her spirits any. And her cheerfulness was contagious. Despite how worried CV was for his friends, he couldn't help but smile with her around.

"It must be lonely," she said suddenly.

"Hmm?" He was confused by her sudden change of topic.

"Being this 'Warrior' everyone's talking about."

"Yeah, it can be..." he admitted. "It's been a long time since I didn't feel the pressure they're putting on me to save the world or something like that."

"Is that why you act like such a goofball?"

He flopped. She giggled.

"Sorry..."

He sat up. "No, it's okay... I guess on some level, I'm just channeling the stress. It DOES help that Ikke's a jerk..."

"True... You didn't REALLY put superglue on the handle of one, did you?"

"No. That would have allowed him to use one ALL THE TIME." He shuddered. "I can't imagine anything scarier."

She nodded. "So, it's all true? The rumors in the school?"

"No, Ikke and Drift didn't really kiss."

"Not that! I mean... You're gonna save the world?"

"I'm gonna try. It's just..." He hesitated. "It's just that when it comes down to it, I'm gonna have to do it alone. The others... They've all got so much talent. Way more than me, I openly admit. But because I'm the one with these weird powers, it falls on me to stop Ramesus, and nothing my friends do can change that. They may think they're with me all the way, but in the end, I'm alone."

"Thanks a lot!" said Rocket Warrior, appearing in a huff.

'NOT WHAT I MEANT!' thought CV.

"...Oh. Right..." Rocket Warrior "sat" on the roof, watching them.

"Is that why you stayed here for the holidays?"

"Sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... Let's just say I don't get along with my family and leave it at that."

"I think I understand." she said. "But you're wrong. You're not alone. Everyone who isn't a total psycho is with you. They may think you're a total space case..." CV sweatdropped. "But you're not alone. Friendship keeps a person strong, so it doesn't matter if they can't really fight alongside you when the time comes, right? No matter what they'll be with you."

CV closed his eyes, mulling that over. "But what if it's not enough?"

"Then maybe you just need another friend," she responded with a smile.

He finally smiled at that. "Thanks, Levia."

"Call me Ami."

"Okay. Ami... Wait... Blue hair, water specialist, named Ami..." He cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not Sailor Mercury in disguise?"

She cocked an eyebrow of her own. "Like you're one to talk. I've heard about you and the Jimmy Kudo costume." She snickered, trying to imagine it. She suddenly leaned against him. "I have GOT to see that sometime."

CV blushed. "I... I only use it for special occasions."

She snickered. "Would it help if I told you my hair's only been blue since Halloween?"

"...You mean..."

"Yep. And I make it look good."

"I get the feeling we both need serious therapy..."

"Maybe..."

"FOR GOD'S SAKE! KISS HER ALREADY!" yelled Rocket Warrior.

"CUT IT OUT!" yelled CV, startling Ami.

"Well I never!" she started.

"NONONO! It was-"

"Your duel spirit?" she asked, winking. "I figured as much. I just had to mess with you."

CV's eye twitched. "It worked...

"And I think I know what it's saying too... So, why don't you?"

"Why don't I what?"

"Kiss the girl?"

Suffice to say, the fireworks continued long after midnight.


"So," asked Ami. "How much longer do you think it'll be before... well, you know..."

"Before I have to face Ramesus?"

"No. Before they figure out where we went."

CV gave that some thought. "We'd better keep moving a little longer."


"I should probably go..." said Allis. "I've got to study for the fusion exam next week."

Holding her closely, Ikke nodded. "Okay... But you'll do just fine. You have an excellent tutor, after all."

Allis smiled at that. "Yeah. A real prince of a guy."

"Oh lord," muttered Rex as he walked by. "Do you mind? Some of us just ate."

Standing nearby, Ashes and Jay couldn't help but snicker. Ever since they'd danced at Halloween, Ikke and Allis had been nearly inseparable. On the plus side, it made Ikke a LOT easier to tolerate.

On the downside, they were so lovey dovey that it nauseated anyone around them. Rex, who'd just joined good a few weeks back with Ami in the aftermath of Sonny and Carly's rampage, was just the latest to take a well deserved potshot at the whole thing.

"You're just jealous," said both Allis and Ikke simultaneously.

"If this keeps up," noted Jay, "we'll need surgery to separate them."

"It's weird..." muttered Ashes. "He didn't even notice the bowling stunt. Or our inventive new use for wet cement last week." She wiped a mock tear. "I almost... miss the old Ikke."

"Bite your tongue..." said Jay.

"I don't get it," said Rex. "From all the horror stories I've been told, I thought this Ikke guy was supposed to be a domineering sociopath with a side of megalomania."

"Also called a Kaiba," inserted Hikari as she came up behind them.

"I HEARD THAT!" yelled Mokuba in the distance.

"But back to the point..." muttered Jay. "He usually is. I guess having someone around that doesn't hate his guts is mellowing him out."

"Who'd've thought that when we forced Allis to relax and come out of her shell, she'd wind up taking down our most hated foe?" Ashes was astonished. In five months, Allis had done what countless attempts at ego deflation had failed to accomplish... stopping the vast majority of Ikke's... Ikkeness.

"No accounting for taste..." sighed Hikari. Then again, who was she to judge? The only two guys that had shown a real interest in her were a supervillainous stalker and a psychotic magician the dork had convinced to watch her back.

"Well, I'd better get going then..." said Allis as she broke the embrace. Ikke watched as she walked off.

"You know, maybe it's time she reapplied to join our team."

Hikari blinked. "I thought you practically spit on her the last time."

"People change." said Ikke. "She is a good person, and she deserves another chance."

Ashes felt his forehead. "Hmmm... He doesn't FEEL like he has a fever..."

"Not amusing," said Ikke.

"So... Does your new philosophy extend to our resident dork?" Hikari smirked.

"...No." said Ikke, before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Knew it was too good to be true..." she sighed.


Allis rushed down the hall. She desperately needed to act the fusion exam if she was going to stay above a 3.0 for the year.

She was about to reach the dorm area when suddenly two boys stepped in front of her.

"Afternoon," said one she didn't recognize. "You're Allis, right?"

"Yes, and if you'll excuse me I have a test to study for..." She tried moving around them, only for the second to block her path. "Excuse me, but I really have to go."

"Afraid I can't do that just yet," said the second, snickering.

Allis looked into their eyes, and felt fear, something she hadn't felt in a while. She didn't like the feeling. Not one bit. She took an involuntary step back.

"Wh-what do you want?"

"They work for me," said a familiar voice from behind her. Allis turned to see Ramesus blocking the way she had just come. "They are called Shadow and Fury, and while they may not look like it, they are two of my more promising team members, yes..."

Allis dropped her bag and reached towards her deck holster.

"Oh come now..." said Ramesus. "I have better things to do than waste two minutes dueling you. You see, my dear, I believe we have some business to attend to."

"Business?" She didn't understand.

"Gentlemen, take her, but do not harm yet... YET."

Allis started to scream before Fury's hand covered her mouth.

"Hands off," said an unexpected voice, as a large form moved past Ramesus and grabbed Fury, yanking him away from Allis. Shadow wisely backed away.

"PUT ME DOWN!" yelled Fury, glaring at the one that had just interfered.

StrongMan smirked. "Okay." He tossed Fury right into Shadow, knocking both Evil Duelists over. He turned to glare at Ramesus.

"Ah, StrongMan," said Ramesus. "And to what do I owe the honor?"

"I was going to go to the library to study in peace, but I heard a scream. This is low, even for you." He glanced at Allis. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

"Will you now?" asked Ramesus. "I wonder..." He snapped his fingers, and rings of shadow energy surrounded all five present. "These shadow rings will keep anyone from seeing or hearing us until my business is settled. But tell me, my dear man, what possesses you to confront me like this? I thought you were intent on remaining neutral."

"I am neutral. I'd never join evil because it disgusts me. I wouldn't join good because I figured someone had to watch out for any students falling through the cracks in your stupid conflict."

He glared at Ramesus in a manner most baleful. "Like now. You want Allis, you have to go through me to do it."

Ramesus grinned. "Excellent. A duel it is then. But not just any duel, but a SHADOW GAME. If you win, Allis goes free and, as a bonus, I will surrender my shadow powers and put a stop to the war before it even begins."

"And if I lose?"

"If you lose, not only do I keep the girl... but I gain possession of your very soul."

StrongMan looked at him. "You're insane."

"So I'm told. Fury, Shadow, watch her, but do not harm her. We wouldn't want to... upset the gentleman, after all."

"Of course not," said Fury.

"Whatever you say, boss," added Shadow.

Ramesus extended his duel disk to play mode. "Shall we begin?"

"Count on it," said StrongMan, extending his own disk.

"DUEL!"

Ramesus: 8000

StrongMan: 8000

"I believe I should begin our little dance of doom," said Ramesus as he drew. "And since this is your first shadow game, I'll start slowly. One monster facedown, and a little something extra for later." Two holocards appeared, one behind the other. "That's all."

"My move!" StrongMan drew. "I summon Gemini Elf in attack mode!" He placed the card into a monster zone, and two beautiful elves appeared.

Gemini Elf: 1900/900

"Now attack his facedown monster with Gemini Kick!" The two Elves sprinted forward and leapt, performing perfect thrust kicks to the facedown card, only to be repelled. Returning to his side, Ramesus' monster revealed itself.

It was a nasty looking creature, not unlike the angel of death itself. It had obviously used it's immense sickle to bat the elves away. Even now, it crouched down in defense mode.

Spirit Reaper: 300/200

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Ramesus. "I forgot to introduce you to Spirit Reaper. He's not much of an attacker, but one of the perks he has is that he's completely incapable of being destroyed by attacks." He smirked. "Nice try though."

"You hide behind death itself, it seems," muttered StrongMan. "Fine. One card facedown, and that ends my turn." A card appeared on the field.

"Excellent. My turn to give it a go then?" Ramesus drew. "Two cards facedown, and another monster in defense mode. Just for kicks." Three cards appeared. Then he chuckled. "So tell me, what good is all your strength if you can't lay a hand on me?"

StrongMan growled. "Trust me, I WILL, and when I do..."

"Temper temper..." admonished Ramesus, wagging a finger. "Really, it's quite unbecoming of you."

"Please, be careful," said Allis. "He's out of his mind."

"Yes, do listen to the dear girl," said Ramesus. "After all, everyone should be able to hear a friend before they expire..."


"I think we'll be safe in here," said CV as he and Ami entered one of the duel arenas... And immediately paused, seeing Nat trading blows with a purple-haired girl they'd seen around campus.

"Hey guys," said Nat. "Just a minute." She ducked under a swung arm, but completely missed the girl squatting and thrusting her leg out. Nat tripped and hit the floor.

"My point," said the girl as she offered a hand to Nat. "And that's game."

Nat accepted the help getting up.

"Who is that?" asked Ami.

"My sister," said Void from the stands. "She goes by the name Kuno, most of the time."

"Madame..." CV bowed respectfully. "So, you're new here?"

"My brother insists I fly under the radar," sighed Kuno. "Three months, and he still won't let me apply for your little club."

"Our parents had to go out of the country for a while," explained Void. "They didn't want Kuno to miss out on the rest of the year's schoolwork, and they couldn't leave her alone, so they made a special arrangement with the dean for her to live here, at least for now."

"And as a bonus, I get to attend classes with my big brother," said Kuno, beaming.

"Well, glad you're here," said CV. "And if anyone asks, we had nothing to do with the bowling ball."

"Bowling ball?" asked Nat.

"Or the big dent," added Ami.

"Should I ask?" asked Kuno.

"No," said another voice from the stands. They turned to see McMike entering. "You probably don't want to know."

"McMike..." muttered Void.

"Now, is that any way to welcome an old friend?" asked the fellow ninja. "I mean, the three of us used to go out together on Halloween. Storm Shadow, Snake-Eyes... Never COULD get your sister to wear a red wig and play Scarlet. Always had to be Jinx."

"She suits me," said Kuno. "As you well know."

"True, true..." said Mcmike. "In fact, that's why Ramesus asked me to extend an invitation to join the Evil Duelists."

"Absolutely NOT!" Void thrust his arm in front of Kuno. "She has NOTHING to do with the coming battle. Leave her out of it!"

"She's not even a duelist," added Nat. "It'd be pointless."

"Perhaps," said McMike. "But then again..." A blood red wdjat appeared on his forehead. He grinned maliciously. "Who said I cared?"

CV narrowed his eyes. This was about to get ugly.


"My turn," said StrongMan as he drew. "I sacrifice my Gemini Elf to summon the immense creature known as Great Maju Garzett!" Gemini Elf faded away as a new monster appeared, a gigantic horror of a beast. "And thanks to his special ability, his attack becomes twice that of the monster sacrificed to summon him!"

Great Maju Garzett: 3800/0

"Impressive," said Ramesus.

"And I'm not done! Now I'll equip him with two of the spell card Axe of Despair! Each one raises his attack by 1000, for a grand total of 5800!" Two axes appeared on Great Maju Garzett's hands.

Great Maju Garzett (equipped) : 5800/0

"Now I'll destroy Spirit Reaper by playing the spell Snatch Steal!" A card appeared on StrongMan's field and Spirit Reaper immediately erupted.

"What?!" Fury didn't get it. "How did he do that?!"

"Simple," said Shadow. "Reaper's secondary effect. If it's targeted by a spell or trap, it's automatically destroyed."

"Bad news for the boss then," said Fury.

"Doubt it," said Shadow.

Allis had a bad feeling Shadow was right.

"GO GREAT MAJU GARZETT! ATTACK HIS LAST DEFENSE MONSTER WITH DOUBLE DESPAIR SLASH!" Great Maju Garzett slashed twice, and Ramesus' facedown monster shattered, revealing briefly Pyramid Turtle.

"Bad move," said Ramesus. "When my Pyramid Turtle is destroyed, it lets me summon a new zombie monster from my deck, as long as it has 2000 or fewer defense points. And I choose my Ryu Kokki in defense mode!"

Ramesus' spirit snickered as it appeared on the field, ready to devour the souls of the innocent.

"At last we meet..." he said.

"It... talks?"

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"And soon, I shall do far more..." promised the spirit. It laughed, chilling both StrongMan and Allis to the bone.

"My turn then?" asked Ramesus as he drew. He looked at his hand. "I pass."

"Bad idea!" said StrongMan as he drew. "I PLAY MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!" The wind began to blow. "This will destroy one spell or trap on the field, and your facedown will do nicely!" Ramesus' facedown shattered.

"Well played," he allowed. "But you're far from victory."

"That's what you think! GREAT MAJU GARZETT! SHUT DOWN HIS SKULL COVERED FREAK!"

"I'm not done with you yet," said Ryu Kokki as the Axe of Despair went through him, causing him to explode.

"That's all for now," said StrongMan.

"As you wish," said Ramesus, drawing a card. "One monster facedown, and two presents for later." Two cards appeared behind a facedown monster.

"It's over," said StrongMan. "I promise, this duel ends in the next round!"

"How right you are..." said Ramesus.


"Stay away from my sister, old friend," warned Void.

"Or what? You don't have shadow power. You can't do anything to stop me."

"No," said CV, getting between Void and McMike, "but I can."

"Stay out of this!" barked Void.

"I can't and I won't," said CV. "A friend needs help, and it's my job to see he gets it." He turned to look at Mcmike. "You wanna play with the power of shadow, play with me."

"Gladly," said McMike. "A shadow game it is then. If I win, Kuno joins Evil and I get your soul. If you win, she's free and clear..."

"And you'll play a penalty game," finished CV.

"Gladly," said McMike.

"Not again..." whispered Ami.

"Careful," said Nat. "No telling what he'll have in store for you."

"I know," said CV. "But what choice do I have?"

He glanced at Void and Kuno. He knew the answer. He didn't have any choice at all...


StrongMan drew. "Perfect! I summon Insect Knight in attack mode!" An insectoid warrior appeared, brandishing a sword.

Insect Knight: 1900/1500

"DESTROY HIS FACEDOWN WITH INSECT STAB ATTACK!" Insect Knight nodded and leapt, stabbing at the facedown monster. A woman appeared, gasped in pain, and faded away.

"My Magician of Faith. See where faith gets you, my boy?" asked Ramesus as a spell card ejected from his graveyard. "Now, thanks to her sacrifice, I get one spell back from the graveyard." He took the ejected card.

"It gets me a direct attack on you!" exclaimed Strong Man. "DIRECT ATTACK NOW!" Great Maju Garzett charged, ready to punish Ramesus.

"A foolish, brash choice. I expected better." Ramesus tapped a stud on his Duel Disk, and one of his face downs rose up. "I ACTIVATE RING OF DESTRUCTION!" A strange ring appeared around Great Maju Garzett's neck.

"NO!" exclaimed StrongMan. "If that thing goes off...!"

"It will," said Ramesus. "And when it does, we both take damage equal to his attack strength. DETONATE!" As Ramesus said it, the Ring of Destruction blew up, taking out Great Maju Garzett.

Ramesus: 2200

StrongMan: 2200

"Blast you..." muttered StrongMan. With no cards in his hand, there was nothing he could do. "I end my turn."

"That's all you can do, isn't it?" He chuckled. "What? You didn't REALLY think you were going to win, did you?" Ramesus drew. "I activate the trap Call of the Haunted!" The trap rose up. "And that lets me summon a monster from my graveyard!"

The ground cracked open, and Ryu Kokki emerged, grinning madly.

"I return, and I will feast upon your soul soon enough, stripling."

Ryu Kokki: 2400/2000

"I'll survive this turn," said StrongMan. "Even if my Insect Knight won't."

"Oh, but it will," said Ramesus. "Thanks to a change of allegiance. I play Brain Control, the card my Magician of Faith died to resurrect." The card appeared on the field.

"Here's how it works," said Ramesus. "I pay 800 life points..."

Ramesus: 1400

StrongMan: 2200

"And then I gain control of one of your monsters until the end of the turn! So come to me Insect Knight!" A brain appeared with spectral hands. It reached out and grabbed Insect Knight, turned him around, and dragged him to Ramesus' side of the field.

"Allis..." said StrongMan, looking towards her. "Allis, I'm sorry..."

He clenched his fists. It was over and he knew it.

"Brave to the end, I see," said Ramesus. "Good for you. Won't help, but good for you. Ryu Kokki, I believe you want to have words with the gentleman... Have at it."

Ryu Kokki grinned. "Time... to DINE."

"Penalty game," said Ramesus. "VOODOO DEVOURING!" Ryu Kokki grew massive and leaned down.

"NO!" Allis moved to help StrongMan, but Fury grabbed her by the arms and held her still.

"Watch and enjoy," he said. "StrongMan goes bye-bye."

"RUN! PLEASE RUN!"

"He can't," said Ramesus. "He can only fall. This is what happens when you take a stand. End it," he said to Ryu Kokki.

"Of course..." said Ryu Kokki.

StrongMan watched as Ryu Kokki's maw opened and grew enormous.

"I'M SORRY ALLIS!" he yelled as the massive mouth closed around him and snapped shut.

Ramesus: 1400

StrongMan: 0

Ryu Kokki rose up and swallowed... then faded away, taking the rest of the field with him.

"No..." Allis felt the fight leave her as her eyes filled with tears. "No, it can't be... It just can't be..."

Ramesus walked to where Strongman had last been seen and searched the floor. "As, there you are..." He knelt down and picked up something. "Can't go around losing you, now can I?"

Item in hand, he walked over to Allis. He patted her on the head. "There there... Don't cry."

"You... You KILLED HIM! YOU MONSTER!"

"But he's not dead..." said Ramesus in a mocking tone. "He's right HERE." He opened his hand, and Allis saw a voodoo doll with StrongMan's likeness. "Right in the palm of my hand." He snickered. "Highly collectable, too." He put the doll in his pocket.

"Shadow, help Fury." Shadow nodded and took Allis by the left arm, freeing Fury up to restrain her right fully.

"StrongMan..." Allis continued to cry.

"And now, my dear... Where were we? Ah yes..." He snapped his fingers as he walked down the hall. Fury and Shadow followed, dragging her against her will towards the darkness ahead. "I believe we have some business to conduct... Very important business indeed..."

This time, no one heard Allis scream...

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Ramesus: Origin of Evil! (part 1)